Shane Bissett, director of commemorative coins at the Royal Mint, said the coin was the perfect way to mark an "historical moment".

He said: "The birth of the royal baby will be a joyous occasion - not just for Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge but also for the whole nation, as we are preparing to celebrate another remarkable milestone in their life journey together.

"However, it will also be a special day for many mothers and fathers across the country as they too welcome the arrival of their new baby.

"That is why we wanted to extend this historical moment to them with a lucky silver penny."

Parents whose babies are born on the same day have 60 days after the birth of their child to claim one of the 2,013 free coins, by applying through The Royal Mint's Facebook page.

The coins can also be bought for £28.

The Royal Mint is one of the world's oldest organisations, with an unbroken history of minting British coinage dating back more than 1,000 years.

There were estimated to be 28.9 billion UK coins in circulation at 31 March 2013, with a total face value of 3.9 billion pounds.

All were manufactured by The Royal Mint. As of April 2012, almost 2,000 babies are born every day in the UK.